"Should You Clean Your .22 LR?"--Shooting Illustrated. Yes! The author notes that .22 LR has four characteristics that contribute to fouling of the barrel or action: (i) the lubricant used on the nose of the bullet; (ii) lead fouling from the round itself (even if using the copper-washed rounds); (iii) dirty powder residue; and (iv) the rimfire priming compound is abrasive and particularly leads to build up of residue. He further adds:

It is thought the residuals from the primer, powder and projectile-lubricant amalgamate at the cartridge seat where the chamber ends and the throat begins, causing a hard, restricting ring of material the bullet has to pass through when fired. In my experience with my match guns, I have had to carefully use a chamber reamer to remove this buildup where the bullet enters the barrel’s throat.

He continues:

Thoroughly clean the rifle inside and out. This will reduce the variables that degrade function and accuracy. Disassemble the rifle per the owner’s manual, remove all of the firing residue and other foreign material. Lubricate all of the moving parts with a quality gun oil.

The barrel should receive special attention to remove all of the fouling down to the base metal. Start with soaking the bore with a name-brand solvent designed to remove carbon and lead. After brushing with a bore-fitting nylon or bronze brush, push a few clean patches through to remove the fouling. If there is evidence of fouling still present, Kroil or other brands of penetrating oil work well for loosening hardened buildup collected over time. In extreme cases, J-B Non-embedding Bore Compound may have to be used.

Once the barrel is clean and the rifle assembled and lubricated, select several brands of match ammunition of which you have a good supply. You will have to “season” the barrel with five to 10 shots on average to bring it to optimum accuracy. Shoot some groups and record the results. Then, clean the barrel back to base material again and repeat with the next brand of ammo.

I've had an interest in terminal effectiveness of various bullets and cartridges, and recently came across a couple older articles that you, the reader, may deem to be of interest. These are not in-depth analysis of the topics, but summarize the basics that were known at the time they were written. They are:

"The Small Arms Calibre Debate"--Think Defence (Sept. 2010). This article provides the more recent history of the argument over using the 5.56 NATO versus the 7.62 NATO, paying particular attention to more recent military experience, including the conflict in Afghanistan. Frankly, I thought the article was over-simplistic as to why 7.62 would be better than 5.56, essentially repeating the "bigger bullets make bigger holes" mantra which ignores the performance of full metal jacket. I would also note that, at least according to my memory from when I read Black Hawk Down, was that the M-16s seemed to do a better job of putting down a target than the 7.62 fired from the M60 machine guns. In any event, though, it is interesting to note the breakdown of distances at which combat took place in Afghanistan. Most of you probably know that the conclusion that the majority of combat was under 300 meters was the result of studies of combat during World War II, which was primarily fought in Europe, the islands of the Pacific, and the jungles of Southeast Asia. However, in Afghanistan, half of the fighting occurred at more than 300 meters. I suspect that if we went back to World War II and looked at the combat in North Africa and the plains of Russia, we would probably find longer engagement distances. In any event, the article goes on to explore the possibility of using an intermediate cartridge (6.5 to 7 mm diameter) as a compromise. Nathaniel F. at The Firearms Bloghas written numerous articles over the past couple of years comparing the ballistics of intermediate cartridges versus the 5.56 mm, and I would direct the interested reader to his articles.

"Best Sight for Shotguns?"--Shooting Illustrated. For most of us, whether hunting or for self-defense, the simple bead site is the best "iron sight" providing adequate accuracy and a full field of view.

Other Stuff:

"Serial Street Shooter Now Operating In Phoenix"--Anonymous Conservative. The shooter has reportedly struck for the ninth time; his toll is currently 7 dead and 2 wounded. The description indicates a Hispanic male, but AC points out that this description could just as likely describe someone of Middle-Eastern decent.

"Here's the Real Reason You Should Never Warm Up Your Car"--Popular Mechanics. Unlike cars using carburetors, that needed to be warmed to operating temperatures, modern fuel-injected cars efficiently adjust to different temperatures, so a warm up period is unnecessary. Also, the author indicates that a warm up period can actually be harmful: "It turns out, while you might have thought that letting your car slowly warm up was reducing wear and tear, all that idling time leads to raw gasoline seeping into the oil, breaking down the oil's lubrication properties and increasing the wear."

"Confessions of a Former Apocalypse Survival Guide Writer"--Motherboard. The author, lacking any background in survival, relates that he was the ghost-writer for numerous survival and preparedness books, and that there is quite a demand for ghost-writers for that topic. I don't know whether this means that you should be suspect of some of the books you might have bought, or that it demonstrates that this is topic that can successfully be researched by most anyone.

"The Sinkhole – Our Descent into the Next Ice Age"--Watts Up With That. The author has an interesting animated graphic showing changes in ice core temperatures from about 8,000 B.C. to 1920 A.D. What is significant is that the highest temperatures for the ice core data is from around 5,000 B.C., and 1,200 B.C., and we were much cooler thereafter all the way to 1920 when his graph starts.

"Bloomberg, Murdoch-Led Immigration Group Has Eyes on 2017"--Roll Call. While the article tries to paint a picture of American businesses (agricultural and tech) suffering from the inability to bring even more foreign workers into the country, when combined with knowledge of how tech firms are not only refusing to hire U.S. STEM graduates, but actually laying them off to make room for foreign workers, and the overall employment picture in the U.S., the article actually shows why globalism is undermining Americans.

The team concluded that the landslide created a dam 200 meters high that choked off the mighty Yellow for 6 to 9 months. The rising water finally overtopped the rubble and then quickly washed it away, causing a torrent that could have been among the largest floods of the Holocene epoch, Granger says. It is difficult to determine when ancient floods happened, but radiocarbon dating of the Lajia human remains pegged the catastrophes to about 1900 B.C.E.

"VIDEO: Hillary panics after protesters shout near Las Vegas rally stage"--The American Mirror. She just freezes up when people in the crowd start chanting animal rights slogans, and has to have a Secret Service Agent talk to her before she can relax enough to speak again. It seems to confirm some of the observations that she has suffered neurological damage due to stroke and suffers from an anxiety disorder.

"How American Politics Went Insane"--The Atlantic. My interest in this story is in the description of what is happening to American politics rather than the author's thesis that a stable, powerful "political class" is desirable. To me, reading this in light of Tainter's thesis on the collapse of complex societies, I see a story confirming that we are in a period where government complexity is too high to be maintained.

"In the War on Cops, the Lawless Have Won"--PJ Media. The article is primarily about the increased number of attacks on police and the policies that have been put in place to further restrict their ability to perform their duties. One thing in particular jumped out at me: the discussion of a policy that prevents Chicago PD from using their firearms to stop a suspect in a vehicle where the vehicle is only weapon. Consequences? Yes. From the article:

As the Second City Cop blog notes, Chicago’s policy would prevent officers from firing on a driver seeking to emulate the Bastille Day mass murderer in Nice, France. A terrorist, writes SCC, “would have been able to make runs up and down Michigan Avenue, Columbus Drive, or Grant Park mowing down [Lollapalooza music festival] attendees and as long as his doors are locked, he doesn't run out of gas and the wheels don't get jammed up with the dead and dying, the Chicago Police are not allowed to stop him.”

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This is a blog discussing disaster preparation and survival, especially in light of end time prophecy. It also examines political and other events as they may relate or bear on end time prophecy or the practice of survivalism and/or prepping. The contents of this blog are intended for entertainment and/or academic purposes only. Please consult with a professional or expert before implementing or using any ideas or techniques discussed or presented in this blog.

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